Peterhead have turned a corner in recent weeks and captain Scott Brown insists there is nothing wrong with them still showing ambition.
At the start of the season, confidence in the Blue Toon squad was high as they talked up their hopes of making the League One play-offs.
While that was dented a little by an indifferent start to the season, recent results have indicated a corner being turned at Balmoor.
Prior to last weekend’s 3-1 defeat to Airdrieonians, Jim McInally’s side had been on a four-game unbeaten run, which had lifted them away from the foot of the table. They are still only five points off Falkirk in fifth.
“I always look at the play-off spots – you see Montrose and Falkirk and we more than gave them a game when they came up to our place,” said Brown.
“There’s no reason why we can’t look up the way. You don’t want to get caught cold and get relegated, that goes without saying, but you don’t want to be looking down at this stage.
“Montrose are the perfect example. They came up at the same time as us and they’ve managed to secure themselves in the play-off places. That’s what we need to be doing.
“If you come in at the start of the season and say – ‘we’re just looking to survive’- that’s not going to get anyone going. That’s not going to motivate anyone.
“It goes without saying you’re looking to survive. Nobody starts the season looking to get relegated.
“They were hard games against Montrose and Falkirk and if you’re picking up points and being disappointed, that shows we have turned a corner.”
That ambition comes with having a young team, a shift in the model from Peterhead teams in years past.
Young loanees like Josh Mulligan, Flynn Duffy and Lyall Cameron have come in, as well as free agents David Wilson and Grant Savoury,” added Brown. “All are 21 or younger.
“It’s probably more exciting for the manager to work with a younger squad, as you can mould players into playing the way you want.
“I’m not slagging experienced players as there’s a place for them. But it’s not as if you’ve got a 35-year-old coming in, knowing what he’s going to give you every week.
“It’s going to take a wee bit of time for this to gel when you’ve got younger players. But we’ve become more assured in what we’re doing and hopefully that can lead to more points.”
Peterhead face Cove Rangers in the north-east derby this weekend at the Balmoral Stadium, with the two teams already having faced each other twice so far this campaign.
“Cove are a good side, we know that and it’s going to be tough going to their side on Saturday,” said Brown. “But we’ve turned a corner after the first quarter and it’s up to us to get back on a wee run.”
